Bedstead and the like.



@VVMA I Z Patented Apr. 7, 1914.

. SUTTON BBDSTBAD AND THE LIKE.

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APPLICATION FILED OOT.23, 1912. RENEWED D130. 17, 1913.

IIIIITF ROBERT J. SUTTON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T0 JOHN J. STROBOT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BEDSTEAD AND THE LIKE.

Application filed October 23, 1912, Serial No. 727,308. Renewed December 17, 1913.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, ROBERT J. SU'r'roN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cool; and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Bedsteads and the like, of which the following is a specification. 1

This invention relates to bedsteads and the like, and relates particularly, to adjustable back-supporting sections therefor.

The object of the invention is to provide improved means for locking an ad ustable support for that part or section ofa mattress which supports the back of a person reclining in the bed in adjusted positions,

together with meansfor releasing saidlockino; device and for adjusting said support.

To this end, my invention comprises the various features and details of construction hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings,.1n which my invention is fully illustrated, F1gure 1 is a side view of a bedstead equipped w1th an adjustable back support of my invention, showing said back-support in raised position. Fig. 2 is a fragmentarytop plan view of a bedstead showing my improved back-support applied thereto. Fig. 3 1s an enlarged side view of a back-support of my invention shown in flat or lowered position, in connection with the side rails of a bed stead shown only in part. Fig. i is a sectional elevation on the line 4;- l of Fig; 3; and Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of the operating and locking mechamsm, showing the locking mechanism dlsengaged.

Referring now to the drawings, and 2 designate the head and foot, respectively, of a bedstead, and 3 and 4 the side rails thereof, all of which may be of any usual or approved construction, and will be readily understood by persons familiar w1th the art without a detailed description thereof.

In accordance with my invention, the part or section of the mattress,not shown, against which the back of a person reclining in the bed rests, is adapted to be raised and lowered to bring the same into any desired anl gular position by means of a suitable rest 01% support, which I will now describe. Said support, which, for the purposes of convenient reference, will be hereinafter referred to as the baclosupport, consists of side members 5 and 6, the outer ends of which Specification of Letters Patent.

described.

'12 and 13 toward or from each other.

Patented Apr. 7, 191a.

Serial No. 807,355.

are connected by a transverse member 7 and the inner ends of which are pivotally connected to the side rails, preferably in such ianner that the pivot of said back-support may be adjusted vertically to adapt said support for use in connection with springs of different thicknesses. In the preferable construction shown, the different members of said back-support are made integral with each other by bending a piece of angle iron, pipe or the like into proper shape to form the described members thereof. As shown, also, the side members 5 and 6 of said backsupport are pivoted directly to the upper ends of studs 8 which are slidably fitted to vertically disposed holes or bearings on the side rails 3 and 4 and are adapted to be secured in adjusted positions therein by any suitable means, all as presently particularly The means for adjusting said back-support pivotally are as follows Mounted to rotate in suitable bearings on the side rails 3 and l is a shaft 9 secured to rotate with which are arms 10, the outer ends of which are connected with the side members 5 and 6 of said back-support by means of rods or bars 11, the ends of which are pivoted to said arms 10 and to the backsupport members 5 and 6, respectively.

Withthe described construction, it is obvious that the back-support may be adjusted 'other.' Said back-support is adapted to be secured in different adjusted positions by means of a suitable locking device consisting, as best shown in Figs. l and 5, of members 12 and 13 secured in fixed positions to theside rail 3 and to the shaft 9, respectively, said members being provided on their adjacent faces with corresponding teeth 1d and 15. Said teeth are engaged or disengaged by relative movement of the members Said teeth 14 and 15 preferably comprise a straight face and an inclined face, the relation being such that the straight sides of said teeth will prevent rotation of the shaft 9 in a direction to lower the free end of said back-support, while the inclined sides of said teeth will permit rotation of said shaft in a direction to raise said back-support. The teeth 14 and 15 are maintained normally in engagement with each other by means of a suitable spring applied thereto, as shown, a

endwise movement to said shaft to efiect engagement of the teeth 14 and 15. spring will alsopermit the teeth 15 of the clutch member 13 secured to the shaft 9 to ride over the teeth 14 on the clutch member 12 secured to the side rail when the shaft 9 is turned in proper direction to raise the free end of said back-support. Rotation is adapted to be imparted to the shaft 9 to raise and lower the baclesupport by means of a crank or lever 18 secured to rotate with said shaft, preferably to the end thereof which projects outwardly beyond the side rail 3. As shown, also, the clutch teeth 14 and 15 are adapted to be disengaged by means of said crank or lever 18 in the following manner :Formed on the side rail 3, concentric with the axis of rotation of the shaft 9, is a track 19, the outer surface of which is in a plane which extends substantially at right angles to the axis of said shaft 9 and which forms a tread upon which a roller 20 bears, said roller being rotatably mounted at the end of an extension 21 on the operating crank or lever 18.

In operation, the lever 18 is first moved outwardly away from the side of the bed, the roller 20 hearing on the track 19 forming a fulcrum for said lever,-to move the shaft 9 endwise to disengage the teeth 15 from the teeth 14. While said lever is in position corresponding to disengagement of said teeth 14 and 15, said lever is turned to rotate the shaft 9, the roller 20 permitting the crank or lever 18 to turn freely. When the back-support is in desired position, said crank or lever 18 is released, whereupon the spring 16 will operate to move said shaft 9 endwise to effect reengagement of the teeth 14 and 15 and lock said back rest in adjusted position. The described movement will obviously necessitate slight pivotal movement of the lever 18 relatively to the shaft 9. This is effected in a simple manner by forming a slot 22 in the crank or lever 18, the width of which is substantially equal to the diameter of a hub or boss 23 on the clutch member 13, so that the sides of said slot will closely embrace the sides of said hub or boss. Said crank or lever 18 is pivotally connected to the shaft 9 by means of a pivot pin 24, which secures both the lever 18 V Said and the clutch member 13 to the shaft 9, the

manner of pivoting being such that clearance will be left between the hub or boss 23 and the ends of the slot 22, thus providing for necessary pivotal movement of said cra'nk or lever relatively to said shaft.

In order that my improved back-support may be made and sold separate from the bedstead, I preferably construct my said back-support in the form of a separate attachment adapted to be detachably secured to a bedstead. To this end, the bearings for the shaft 9, the clutch member 12, and the track 19 are formed on hangers 25 and 26 adapted to be removably secured to the side rails 3 and 4 of the bedstead.

. As shown, the side rails 3 and 4 are made of angle iron and the hangers 25 and 26 are adapted to be secured thereto and removed therefrom in the following manner Formed on the upper ends of said hangers are flanges 27 adapted to rest upon the tops of the 'side rails andrformed on the inner sides of said hangers below the flanges 27 are brackets or angular flanges 28 which extend upwardly inside of the side rails 3. Threaded through said brackets 28 are clamping screws 29 which, when screwed up, are adapted to bear against the inner side of the side rails. In the preferable construction shown, also, the studs 8, to which the side members 5 and 6 of the back-support are pivoted, are fitted to holes formed vertically in bosses or projections 30 formed on the hangers 25 and26, said studs being adapted to be secured in adjusted-positions by meansof set screws 31 threaded therethrough so as to project into the holes in said bosses or projections 30.

To prevent the mattress from sagging through the back rest when said back rest is raised, a strip oiustrips of suitable flexi ble material, as webbing, canvas or the like, 1s secured to the side members 5 and 6 and whlch extend across the space between said members. As shown, a single piece of canvas 32 is thus secured between the side members 5 and 6 of said back-support.

I claim V 1. A back-support for a bedstead, means for adjusting andlocking said back-support and for releasing said locking device, said means comprising a shaft, clutch members provided with teeth adapted to engage with each other, comprising a fixed clutch member and a movable clutch member secured to rotate with said shaft, an operating lever or crank connected with said shaft and movable clutch member adapted for rotating said shaft and for retracting said clutch member, said operating lever or crank ex-' tending beyond said shaft, and a track against which said extension of said lever V bears, substantially as described. 2. A back-support for a bedstead, means me os for adjusting and locking said back-support and for releasing said locking device, said means comprising a shaft, clutch members provided with teeth adapted to engage with each other, comprising a fixed clutch member and a movable clutch member secured to rotate with said shaft, a spring adapted for maintaining the clutch teeth on said movable clutch member normally in engagement with the clutch teeth on said fixed clutch member, an operating lever or crank extending beyond said shaft, and a track against which said extension of said lever bears, substantially as described.

3. A back-support for a bedstead, means for adjusting and locking said back-support and for releasing said locking device, said means comprising a shaft, clutch members provided with teeth adapted to engage with each other, comprising a fixed clutch member and a movable clutch member secured to rotate with said shaft, an operating lever or crank connected with said shaft and movable clutch member adapted for rotating said shaft and for retracting said clutch member, said operating lever or crank extending beyond said shaft, a roller rotatably mounted on the extension of said lever, and a track against which said roller bears, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I aiiix my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses this 17th day of October, A. D., 1912.

R. J. SUTTON.

Witnesses:

MARY H. BIXEL, JOHN J. STROBOT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

